Serological analysis using mouse monoclonal antibodies has identified a number of cell surface antigens expressed on cultured human melanoma cells (Dippold, W. G., K. O. Lloyd, L. T. C. Li, H. Ikeda, H. F. Oettgen and L. J. Old. 1980, Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 77:6114; Houghton, A. N., M. Eisinger, A. P. Albino, J. G. Cairncross and L. J. Old, 1982, J. Exp. Med. 156:1755; Albino, A. P., K. O. Lloyd, A. N. Houghton, H. F. Oettgenand L. J. Old, 1981, J. Exp. Med. 154:1764)). The ink products of the major histocompatibility complex B, C and D loci) and a variety of differentiation antigen. The detailed structure of most of these antigens, as well their biological functions, remains to be elucidated.
One glycoprotein of 130,000 molecular weight (gp130), first defined by Dippold et al. (Dippold, W. G., K. O. Lloyd, L. T. C. Li, H. Ikeda, H. F. Oettgen and L. J. Old, Supra, and designated gp150, was shown to be present in greatest amounts on cultured human melanoma lines (40/43) and cultures of astrocytoma (7/10) and to a lesser degree on a wide range of other malignant or normal cell types.
The potential usefulness of this antigen in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma has led to efforts toward further elucidation of its biochemical and immunochemical behavior.